Can-opener



E. ANDERSON CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1920.

1,360,256. Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

' 8 Fi n3 9 7 I II 3 5 j Fi .4 a lo 3 INVENTOR l3 EDWIN HNDE/PSO/V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN ANDERSON, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CAN-OPENER.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that LEDWIN ANDERSON, a

citizen of the United States, and resident. of

the city of Seattle, "county of King, and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

l v This invention relates to improvements in ,can openers, and more particularly to devices of that character for opening cans by cutting the ends from the body portions by a circumferential cut through the can wall.

' The principal object of the invention is to provide a can opener of this character comprising an advancing and a cutting roller which are adapted to be clamped in opposed relation against opposite sides of the flange or seam of a can, in such manner that the cutting disk or roller will sever the can wall and the can will be revolved against the cutter by revolving the advancing roller.

A further object of'athe invention is to provide a deviceof this character wherein the rollers are mounted at the ends of pivotally connected handles wherebythey-may be clamped against the opposite sides of a cans flange, and wherein the advancing roller is revolved by suitable crank mechanism. l

Another object of the invention is to pro- 'vide cutting rollers of a novel character,

. comprising guide and depth flanges for guiding the device while it is being used and for limiting the depth to which the cuttin disk may enter the can wall.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure li'sa perspective view of, can

Specification of 'Letters Patent.

erally turned end portion of the handle 1 is Patented N 0v. 30, 1920.

Application filed A ril 20, 1920. Serial m.- 375,372.

views of the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts, 1 and 2 designate cooperating gripping handles, pivotally connected near their outer ends by a pin, or rivet 3. Both of the handles are-turned laterally at about the pivot point so that their inner ends are spaced apart in a line that extends substantially in the direction of the handles.

Rotatably mounted at the end'of the lata cutting disk 4, provided on its upper side and closely adjacent the cutting edge with a circumferential shoulder 5 which serves to limit the cutting edge in entering the can wall.

Revolubly {mounted in a bearing portion 7 at the end ofthe laterally turned portion of the handle 2 is a shank 8 which, at its lower end has an advancing roller 9 fixed 75 thereto and at its upper end is threaded to receive the-head end 10 of a crank 11 which may be actuated to revolve the advancing roller, which has a substantially wide peripheral edge which is knurled or roughened so that it will not slip on the flange when revolved thereagainst.

The cutting roller 4: and the advancing roller 9 are mounted in such relation to each other that they may be clamped against opposite sides of the end flange of a can, as is illustrated particularly in Fig. '3; and the cutting disk may be pressed against the can wall with suflicient force to cut through the wall to the depth provided by the placing 9b of the shoulder 5. It is. preferred to'mount the advancing roller in a plane that is inclined somewhat with respect to the plane of the roller 4 to facilitate its operation.

In Fi 4 I have illustrated an alternative form of cutting roller construction which provides for gaging the distance of thecut from the end of the can and the depth that the cut may enter." In this-construction the cutting roller comprises an upper peripheral 100 flange 12 which is adapted to extend beyond the cutting edge 13 of the roller and to overlie the end of the can. The cutting edge is located about the center of the roller and just above a shorter peripheral flange 14 at 105 the lower edge of the roller. The flange 14 serves to limit the depth to which the cutter may enter the can-wall while the upper flange gages the distance that the cut is to be made fromfthe end of the can.

In the first construction described, the cutting roller is set so that the can wall will be severed just below the end wall of the can, while in the latter case the cutting edge is spaced from the upper flange 12 so that the overturned portion of the material which forms the end wall of the can is severed and the body of, the can is left intact.

In using this device to open a can, the handles are opened apart so that the rollers may be applied to the opposite sides of the flange of the can and they are clamped therea ainst by tightly gripping and drawing th: handles together. The crank 11 is then rotated to advance the can against the cutter which enters and cuts the can wall to the depth permitted by the shoulder 5, and

by Letters-Patent is 1. A can opener comprisingpivotally connected handles, a cutting disk revolubly mounted at the end of one of said handles, an advancing roller mounted at the end of theoiher handle in opposed relation to the cutting disk; said advancing roller and disk being adapted to be clamped by the handles against opposite sides of a can flange and means for rotating the advancing roller, for the purpose set forth.

2. A can opener of the character described comprising apair of pivotally connected handles, an advancing roller revolubly mounted at the end of one of said handles, a cutting disk revolubly mounted at the end of the'opposite handle in opposed relation to the roller; said roller and disk being adapted to be clamped by the handles against opposite sides of an edge can flange to press the cutter through the can wall, a peripheral shoulder on the cutting disk for limiting the depth of the cut made thereby and a crank for revolving the advancing roller for the purpose set forth. 1

3. In a can opener of the character described, comprising a pair of pivotally connected handles, a revoluble advancing roller mountedat the end of one of said handles, a cutting disk revolubly mounted at the end of the opposite handle; said roller and cutter being adapted to be clamped against opposite sides of a can end flange by the said handles; the said cutting disk having an extending peripheral flange at its upper edge adapted to overlie the can end to guide the cutter and ashorter flange at its lower edge for gaging the depth of the cut.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 10th day of April, 1920.

EDWIN ANDERSON. 

